The present invention relates to a venipuncture and cutaneous sealing device and method which permits the capturing of a needle either before or after a venipuncture, the engaging of the venipuncture site, and the sealing of both the puncture site and the needle tip.
It is a conventional to use needle devices for extracting blood for testing purposes. For example, in a conventional hypodermic syringe, the needle is inserted into a vein and a plunger is pulled or retracted to create a vacuum inside the syringe that causes blood to flow through the needle and into the body of the syringe. After the blood is received within the hypodermic device, the device is withdrawn which normally results in blood spurting out of the venipuncture site onto the surface of the puncture site and also some blood remaining on the outer surface of the needle. This also occurs with all other needle devices that are presently used for withdrawing blood or for intravenous medication.
There is a great concern today regarding the possibility that a patient's blood may come into contact with the nurse, doctor or technician who is extracting blood from that patient. Moreover, the possibility of blood coming into contact with anyone or anything else is of great concern in view of the possibility that serious and even deadly diseases may be transmitted. Thus, it is the principal object of the present invention to prevent or substantially minimize the possibility of patient blood coming into contact with the nurse, doctor or technician who is extracting blood from that patient. Further, it is an object of the present invention to prevent or minimize the possibility of blood coming into contact with anyone or anything else.